Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Bangladesh

Bangladesh: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes was 68.4% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
68.4%
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
29th
of 38 countries
All-time high
68.4%
in 2019
All-time low
25.5%
in 1981
Years of data
12
1981–2019

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Bangladesh, 1981–2019

02040601981200020191981: 25.5 %1991: 30.1 %2001: 41.9 %2011: 51.7 %2012: 50.4 %2013: 57 %2014: 57 %2015: 57.8 %2016: 65.9 %2017: 66.1 %2018: 67.3 %2019: 68.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Bangladesh recorded 68.4% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in 2019. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.

The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 32.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Bangladesh peaked at 68.4% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 25.5%, in 1981.

That places Bangladesh 29th out of 38 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Bangladesh, year by year

Annual values for Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes (%) in Bangladesh, 1981 to 2019.
Year % Change
1981 25.5%
1991 30.1% +18.3%
2001 41.9% +39.0%
2011 51.7% +23.4%
2012 50.4% -2.5%
2013 57.0% +13.2%
2014 57.0% -0.0%
2015 57.8% +1.3%
2016 65.9% +14.0%
2017 66.1% +0.4%
2018 67.3% +1.8%
2019 68.4% +1.6%

Bangladesh compared with similar countries

  • Bangladesh's 68.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 68.4%, 1.0× the median. (11 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 25.5% 25.5% 25.5% 1
1990s 30.1% 30.1% 30.1% 1
2000s 41.9% 41.9% 41.9% 1
2010s 60.2% 50.4% 68.4% 9

Countries ranked near Bangladesh

  1. 26 Cambodia 77.0% compare
  2. 27 Iran, Islamic Republic of 73.9% compare
  3. 28 Guatemala 72.1% compare
  4. 30 Uganda 65.4% compare
  5. 31 Tunisia 64.4% compare
  6. 32 Egypt 64.0% compare

See the full ranking of 38 places →

More reference data data for Bangladesh

All data for Bangladesh →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Bangladesh?
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Bangladesh was 68.4% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Bangladesh?
The highest recorded value was 68.4% in 2019.
What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Bangladesh?
The lowest recorded value was 25.5% in 1981.
How does Bangladesh rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes?
Bangladesh ranks 29th out of 38 countries with data for 2019.
Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes rising or falling in Bangladesh?
Over the last ten years it is up 32.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Bangladesh. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/adult-literacy-rate-population-15-years-rural-both-sexes-percent/bangladesh/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
38 places, 341 data points, 1976–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of adults in rural areas over age 15 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/